Report of active shooter at Villanova University a ‘cruel hoax,’ university president says
WPVI via CNN Newsource By Cindy Von Quednow, Michael Callahan
(CNN) — [Breaking news update, published at 6:20 p.m. ET]
An active shooter report on the campus of Villanova University was a “cruel hoax,” the university’s president said in a message to students.
“Mercifully, no one was injured, and we now know that it was a cruel hoax - there was no active shooter, no injuries and no evidence of firearms present on campus,” Peter M. Donohue said.
[Original story, published at 6:05 p.m. ET]
Police are responding to a report of an active shooter at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, according to a post by the Radnor Township Police Department on its Facebook page.
No victims have been reported at this time, polices said. Nearby residents and students are being asked to shelter in place until a police officer guides them to safety.
People on campus are also being asked to stay clear of the law school’s Scarpa Hall, move to a secure location and to lock or barricade doors, the university posted on its website.
Law enforcement is conducting a sweep of the law school for any victims or a suspect, but the exact nature of the incident is still unclear, according to a law enforcement source.
Armed police officers could be seen from the roof as dozens of law enforcement and fire officials responded to the campus, video from CNN affiliate WPVI showed.
New student orientation and registration began Thursday and is scheduled to go until Saturday, while classes begin Monday, according to the school’s academic calendar.
Students received an email about the incident around 4:35 p.m. ET as an opening mass was underway at Rowen Campus Green. The mass was set to be followed by a family picnic.
Villanova is a private Catholic university in the suburbs of Philadelphia and is the alma mater of Pope Leo XIV.
The reports came hours after the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga sent an active-shooter alert and the campus went on lockdown. Police later said the authorities found “no evidence of a threat.” Authorities are investigating the Tennessee incident as a possible case of swatting, a law enforcement source told CNN.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
CNN’s Josh Campbell contributed to this report.
The-CNN-Wire
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